Sparks flew, beads of sweat collecting and spilling down her chest the faster and longer she went. I cupped her delicate face in my hands, needing a taste of her, wanting to feel her full lips on mine. The quick rush I felt as I kissed her deep, watching her ride me like her life depended on it, made no damn sense. How could she make me feel this way? Like I was a teenager again, fucking my new girlfriend for the first time?
With Chloe, I felt confident. I felt like I could take over the world. There was someone that accepted me other than my deceased wife. Chloe, this amazing girl, had no idea how great she made me feel.
Skin slapped with the sound of crashing waves.
Moans and groans became louder, heat thickening the space around us, crowding the cabin.
Her tight pussy surrounded me whole, squeezing and then releasing with a slight bounce. Oh, shit. If she kept doing that, I was going to cum for damn sure. As if she knew that was the trigger, she rode faster, her palms on my chest, forcing my back against the sofa. Her gaze fixed on only me, her teeth biting in her bottom lip.
“Ohh.” She let out a breathy moan, knocking her head back as she continued.
I cupped her ass. “You look so good, baby,” I told her, pressing my chest to her abdomen. “Look at you. Look at the mirror.” I kissed her chin, meeting her hooded eyes through the reflection on the ceiling. “Look how fucking sexy you look on top of me, baby. Riding me. Fucking me. Taking control.” I brought her face down, gluing her mouth to mine as I caught her cry of pleasure, swirling my tongue around hers, stealing every delighted sound right away.
Her body became rigid, stiffening as she bucked forward. Her pussy still squeezed tight around me—gripping and holding—but when she came… my fucking god, she grew even tighter, and my eyes sealed. I had no clue she could get so tight around me, but the clutch was real. No longer able to hold it all in, I released, coming harder than I did the first four times.
“Fuck, baby.” A deep grunt filled the gap between us. I squeezed her perfect ass in my hand, sucking on the bend of her neck. She allowed me, tilting her head back, pulsing hard and shuddering just enough for me to feel. Once I collected enough breath, I laughed. “Now, that’s how you ride a man, Chloe. Goddamn.” She giggled as I kissed her cheek, then she hooked her arms around my neck. “You looked like you already knew what you were doing up there.”
She shrugged, her forehead dropping on my shoulder. “I may have learned on my own.”
Frowning, I asked, “How?” My face went stiff as I lifted her head.
She laughed. “Theo, really?” she teased. “It’s not what you think. I just so happen to read a lot of books with some amazing sex scenes in them.”
My face softened. I felt foolish. “Oh.” I swiped my forehead as she climbed off my lap and collected her dress. “So books are like porn to you?”
“Yep. Ever heard of E.L. James? Sylvia Day? Maya Banks?” She tugged the cover up down, concealing her terrific body.
“Nah,” I admitted, huffing a laugh.
“Well, a woman can learn so much from reading their books. Look at it this way: you have the Internet, I have the library,” her lips twisted, “… and bookstores. It really does come in handy.” She grinned, revealing beautiful, pearly teeth. “If you ever wanna do something to make me happy, buy me books. I will love you forever.” She flashed her gorgeous smile again.
I chuckled, standing and pulling up my briefs. “Yeah, I bet, Little Knight.”
She stepped back, pointing her thumb towards the fridge. “Want me to get a water?”
I watched as she twirled but kept her eyes on me as she glanced over her shoulder. “Sure. Grab us some drinks. I’ll meet you on the deck. There’s still a little sun out.”
She scoffed. “Not enough for me to tan with, sir.”
I laughed, collecting her towel and then walking up the stairs to get mine off the back of the chair. I spread the towels on the deck, and Chloe came out several seconds later with two, cold, bottled waters in hand. She extended a bottle to me, and I thanked her and sat.
Tugging on her arm, I brought her to my lap, and she yelped, laughing in the process. God, I loved the sound of her laughter, the high and low chimes. The way my chest grew hot when I realized it was pure joy I gave her. I had no idea how I made her so happy. I didn’t know what it was about me that she liked so much.
My lips pressed to the shell of her ear, and I held her close, my arms wrapping around her middle. She smelled good, like creamy coconut. It was refreshing, and it definitely fit her. “What is it about me?” I asked calmly.
“What do you mean?” She sat up.
“I mean, what is it about me that intrigues you?”
She gripped my hand and shrugged her shoulders. “I… don’t know. There are a lot of things about you that I find interesting. Intriguing. But if we’re being honest right now, I have to tell you that I have been interested ever since the day I met you.”
“Really?” I was surprised… and amused.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” She let out a small sigh, one that made her seem like a hopeless romantic. “There was just something about the way you rode into Primrose on that bike… and how you sat there so casually, like nothing in the world bothered you. Normally, I can read people like a book, but I couldn’t tell what it was about you. I knew that day that I needed to meet you—the entire Black family. I could read Mrs. Black like a book. She was a busy woman that liked things to go her way and sometimes stressed herself out over the little things.”
Shit. She was spot on. “And Izzy was just like me. Not old enough to fully give a damn about boys. Focused more on her books and movies and new shoes or dresses. But you… I don’t know.” She looked really unsure, like she was picturing the day all over again. “You just sat there with so many unanswered questions surrounding you. And I watched, hoping I would soon get some answers, but I got none. Let’s just say you were really cool, really hot, and that really spiked my interest.” She laughed.
“Hold on—were cool?” I teased.
“Still are, silly man.” I chuckled, and she picked up her bottle of water, taking a quick sip before sighing. “Why can’t every day be like this?”
I pressed my lips, my chin resting on her shoulder. I watched the water move, the waves shimmering from the sunset. The sky was filled with scattered rays, a shade of pink and orange blended with warm yellow. “I don’t know,” I replied.
She twisted a little to look at me. “Do you wish it could always be like this? With me and you, I mean.”
Her eyes were filled with emotion. I swallowed hard, dropping my head. “If you’re asking me if things could be different, then yes.” I squeezed her, placing a soft kiss to her temple. “I do wish there were ways we could make this work.” Her eyelids sealed blissfully, pleased with my response.
Reality.
It always caught up to us somehow. Though she was satisfied with my answer, I knew it was dumb to say. Even if we wanted more, we couldn’t have it. There were some things I couldn’t claim, and me claiming Chloe as my own was one of them.
But I didn’t tell her that. I didn’t tell her because, even while I held her close and we watched the ocean and the seagulls pass by with distant caws, I knew I couldn’t ruin this moment right now.
This peace.
This bliss.
This beautiful girl between my legs, allowing me to kiss her. Allowing someone as myself to hold and protect her. She trusted me. She cared about me. I couldn’t break or demolish that.
But plenty of other things definitely could.
My phone vibrated on the table. I glanced back, brows drawing together. Placing a quick kiss on Chloe’s cheek before releasing her, I stood and walked to the table to pick up my cellphone. The name on the screen shattered all bliss. All peace.
Izzy.
Chloe walked towards me. “What is it?”
I swallowed hard, and when I turned to look
at her, she immediately spotted the guilt in my eyes. Her entire demeanor changed. She no longer smiled. She couldn’t even look at me.
Instead, she turned around, gripping the silver railing and looking towards the sunset. I looked from her backside to my phone. I’d missed the call, but I knew I had to get home and call my daughter.
Guilt-ridden, I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her from behind. She sighed, and when I turned her around to face me, her eyes were damp. “No, Chloe,” I whispered, pleading. “Please, baby. Don’t cry.”
“I—” Her mouth clamped shut in an instant. My heart ached, watching her struggle with words.
“Look at me.” I picked her face up in my hands, and when our eyes met, her tears fell, skidding down her cheeks. With the pad of my thumb, I swiped them away. “It’s okay. It’s just a phone call. We can still spend time together, but we have to get back. I don’t have good service out here, and I should call her back before she gets worried.”
Damn. When I actually listened to myself, it seemed like I was having an affair, not that I was speaking of my daughter.
She nodded, swiping her face. “I understand… this is just crazy, ya know?”
A soft laugh blew out. “Trust me. I know.”
“Well—” She stood up straight, removing her face from my hands. With a kind smile, she said, “We should get out of here then. I should probably go shower too.” Her nose scrunched, a soft smile on her twisted lips. There she was, the Little Knight that understood me. The one that knew this whole ordeal was what it was and there would be no changing it.
So, after helping her collect her things, I went to the wheel and sailed back to the docks. I drove Ol’ Charlie back to Primrose, but Chloe was quiet during the ride. When we were in my garage, I kicked the kickstand and helped her off. She forced a smile, placing the strap of her tote bag on her shoulder.
I sat on the seat, unsure of where to begin.
Luckily, I didn’t have to. She started for me, face gentle. “I had fun today, Theo.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Me too. We should do it again.” She thought on it, trying to figure out when exactly that would happen. I saw her conflict, how her eyes gave the internal debate away. “Anyway I’ll text you.” I hopped off my bike, stepping in front of her.
She nodded. “Okay.”
We stared at each other for a moment through the darkness. Nothing but the streetlights gave leeway for our vision. I could read her like a book. She was clearly upset, but was trying hard to hold onto contentment.
Stepping forward, I cupped one of her cheeks, and my mouth came above hers, but I didn’t kiss her. I lingered, and her hand came to my waist, body closer. We were like magnets, unwilling to break apart unless the cause was distance. “This doesn’t change anything,” I said. “You’re still my Knight.”
Her cheeks tugged up, eyes falling. “Go call Izzy,” she teased, but the remorse was clear in her voice.
I brought my head down, and our lips molded. She released a sigh, her arms draping over my shoulders, fingers curling in my hair. I stumbled forward until her back hit the wall, but I didn’t dare stop kissing her.
She needed to know that we were okay. That nothing would change and we could still let this summer be.
She was still my girl.
My Little Knight.
My baby.
My air.
My beautiful savior. I say “savior” because if it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have wanted to keep living after Janet passed.
If it wasn’t for her coming to check on me and helping me during the darkest, most desperate times, I wouldn’t have been there. I would have been gone a long time ago, drowning in sorrow or most likely dead.
My hands held her face, my groan deep. I didn’t want to stop kissing her—I could have all fucking night—but when my phone buzzed in my back pocket, I pulled back, cursing beneath my breath.
Her eyes sparkled as she ran her tongue over her swollen mouth. Pulling away, she tucked her hair behind her ears and then stepped aside. “You should get that.”
I debated on going for another kiss and calling Izzy when I was done, or getting it now and watching her leave me with sullenness she didn’t need.
But I knew if I kissed her again, there would be no stopping. It would have gone further, and I would have taken her inside, going for another round. It would happen because I could never get enough of this amazing woman.
“Shit,” I hissed, yanking out my cellphone. I answered, but my eyes never left Chloe’s. I held up a finger, begging her not to leave just yet.
“Dad!” Izzy shouted.
“Yes, Isabelle. What is it?”
“Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been calling you for an hour straight!”
I glanced at Chloe who stood in the corner, her head down. I’m sure she was listening. “I was working, Izzy. What is it?”
“I got into an accident.” It was then that I realized her voice was thick. She was crying.
I frowned, turning away from Chloe. “What?! What the hell happened? Are you okay?”
“Yeah I’m fine. I don’t know. Some stupid SUV ran into the back of my car, and I lost control and ended up going over the curb. It’s fucking raining here, and I couldn’t see shit. God, my car is so fucked up! I need you to come here—call the insurance company or something!”
“Alright, alright. Calm down. Breathe.” I inhaled and then exhaled deeply, turning in Chloe’s direction again. She was no longer looking down. She was a step closer, concern written all over her face. “Let me call the insurance company, and I’ll call you right back.”
“Okay. Hurry, Dad.” She hung up, and I dropped the phone, clutching it in hand.
“What happened?” Chloe asked.
“Izzy… she got into a car accident. She says she’s fine, but the car is apparently fucked up.”
Relief flooded her hazel eyes. “Was it her fault?” Her eyes were wider as she probed for more.
“No. She said an SUV ran into her.” I hesitated. “She’ll probably need me to go to Nois.” Nois was where Izzy went to school.
“Oh. Okay.” She held up her hands. “Okay,” she breathed. “You should go handle everything. Just call me when you have it all situated. And if you have to go, well, just go. I understand.”
I stepped forward with a nod. “Okay. But I promise to call you.” I stroked her cheek. “Will you wait for me?”
Her smile was full, but I could still spot her guilt. Her silence was deafening, her mouth opening and then clamping shut as if he couldn’t find the right words to say. “I feel like this is all my fault,” she finally murmured.
I frowned. “No. If anything, it’s mine. I’m the one that didn’t have my phone around.”
“Yeah, but I was totally distracting you.” Her smile faltered.
I shook my head then kissed her cheek. “Don’t blame yourself. Like you told me once before, it’s life. Things happen that are out of our control.”
Her eyes shot up. “Wow. I can’t believe you remember that.”
I flashed a smile. “I remember everything when it comes to you, Chloe.”
After placing one last kiss on her lips for reassurance, I let her go, watching her cross the street and walk through her front door. On her way across, she looked back once, a faint trace of a smile present. I returned the same expression, waving once.
When she made it safely inside her home, I blew out a heavy breath, picking up my phone and calling the insurance company. My status with Chloe was puzzling, but when it came to my daughter, I had to see she was safe.
I felt terrible as hell for not answering sooner. I could have lost her too. Fortunately, a higher power had their eyes on her.
Not sure what the fuck I would have done if I’d lost my Izzy Bear too.
I wouldn’t blame Chloe for a damn thing, but I would blame myself over and over again, going through the same struggle as once before, and that would jeopardize everyt
hing she and I ever stood for.
Sixteen
His garage gate was closed when I awoke, no cars or bikes in the driveway. He’d gone to Nois for Izzy. He called me right before leaving that morning.
"I'll be back as soon as everything is handled."
"Okay," I murmured, but I felt somewhat disappointed—not with him, but with myself. He was going to see Izzy. I could have tagged along, but I didn't quite trust myself with Theo around. I would have been self-conscious of every little thing, like if she noticed me staring or if she saw how he looked at me, or maybe even caught him standing too close. I missed the hell out of her, but I was going to have to wait to see her... alone. No hot daddy around to distract me.
Anything could have gone wrong, so I kept my distance. "Tell her that I'm glad she's okay. I mean I called her last night to check in, and she said she was fine and all, but I'm sure she'd love to hear it in person."
"I will." Theo was quiet for a moment. At first I thought he was thinking negatively— reconsidering all we'd done only hours ago on his boat. But that thought quickly vanished as he sighed. "When I get back, it's you and me. I'm packing everything up. Think you can drop by and help?"
I laughed, crossing my legs on top of my comforter. "Duh. You know I will. Just make sure you keep the chair aside. I'm really taking it."
"Of course." I heard the smile in his voice. "Gonna miss you, Chloe." His voice was gentle, maybe the softest I'd ever heard it.
"I'll miss you too, Theo."
"Mmm," he groaned.
Giggling, I asked, "What?"
"I love it when you call me by my first name."
"Theodore," I said, rolling his name off my tongue. "Theodore Benjamin Black."
He chuckled. "You know way too much about me, Knight."
I smirked on my end. "Not my fault you're a blabbermouth around me.
"Take it as a good thing, babe. Not many get to know me like you do."
I paused. "You say that like you're a bad person."
He was silent for a moment, allowing my words to sink in. Finally, he said, "You'd be surprised. There's shit about me that only Janet and my mom know about. Shit that... I can’t exactly take back. Sometimes I think my last name mocks me because of how dark my past was."
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